And just like that, Betsy’s head has popped out! Between Part 4 and this, there were three minutes when I took only sequential stereos, and unfortunately, Betsy’s minute movements led to discrepancies in all those pairs; hence she has made considerable progress in these catadioptric shots here.
Here you can clearly see the clypeus (the nose-like structure) with its sulci (grooves) between the large compound eyes. Its large shape contains the muscles that will allow her to suck up sap through her beak-like rostrum from the xylem of plants. This will be her only nourishment as an imago (adult), as she lacks any biting or chewing mouthparts. It’s a little like having your mouth sealed around a straw 😂
The next marker in her eclosion (emergence) will be the freeing of her forelegs and wings—the latter seen here curled and compacted up, very green, at her sides. (To be continued…)
TAGS: insects > cicadas > Betsy the Cicada, cicada ecdysis, Neotibicen; ecdysis
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